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Thursday, May 28, 2015

US ‘accidently’ sends live anthrax to South Korean army base

The United States military has mistakenly sent live anthrax bacteria to laboratories in nine US states and a US airbase in South Korea, after apparently failing to properly inactivate the bacteria last year, US officials have said.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that there was no known suspected infection or risk to the public. But four US civilians have been started on preventive measures called post-exposure prophylaxis, which usually includes the anthrax vaccine, antibiotics or both.

Twenty-two personnel at the base in South Korea were also given precautionary medical measures although none have shown sign of exposure, the US military said.

Alex Jensen, a journalist based in South Korea, told Al Jazeera that the Osan base – where the bacteria was sent – was only about 60km from the capital, Seoul.

“It could have been worse,” he said, adding that the other major US base was in the middle of the highly-populated capital.

“I would say that the situation and the panic levels are under control.”